Sawyer Story

In the early 20th century, Slabtown bustled with hardworking immigrant families from Croatia, Ireland and Italy. Residents lived in row houses and worked at nearby canneries, steel foundries, and sawmills. Sawyer’s Row sits on the same site where many such families lived. Its cozy scale and walk-up design recall the property’s roots, while modern, sustainable touches reflect current times.

The local sawmills gave Slabtown its name. Rough-hewn “slab” wood, the rounded edges left over from the milling process,was sold as fuel, and pieces were stacked high on curbs to dry. This tradition created a kind of industrial forest in the neighborhood, with sidewalks framed by long “tunnels” of wood.